


Holidays Off the Enterprise

by Shane_for_Wax



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:26:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28218450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shane_for_Wax/pseuds/Shane_for_Wax
Summary: The Enterprise's Triumvirate Celebrate Sukkot off-ship for the first time in years.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2
Collections: Star Trek Secret Santa 2020





	Holidays Off the Enterprise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NervousAsexual](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NervousAsexual/gifts).



> This is for the startreksecretsanta. I got nervousasexual. They requested the TOS/AOS triumvirate (i did TOS for multiple reasons) and celebrating Sukkot. However I hope everyone had a bright and safe Hanukkah (Dec 10-18)! Belated Hanukkah Sameach! Note: Please refer to this page for translations and more description. (Note that Reform may differ slightly from Orthodox/Hasidic/Conservative but Reform is what I follow. One of the main ones being that the diaspora celebrate one extra day versus those in Israel only doing 7 days.)

The course change had been smooth, if a little confusing for the non-bridge crew. Keeping track of holidays on a space faring vessel continued to have some minor complications but for the most part many of the differing faiths made do. Any religions based on a lunar calendar kept up with Earth astronomy while on the ship and used the calendar created on Earth. Anyone growing up on a colony, of course, would follow that planet's astronomy as good as possible (especially if the planet had multiple moons).

"I'm a doctor, not a carpenter," McCoy complained despite the fact he did enjoy working with his hands. Anything that was physical, something he could see and touch, he enjoyed. 

"Well, Bones, today you are both and not doing half bad, either," Kirk said with a good natured clap to the shoulder. The pair looked over the mass of wood that had been transformed into a dwelling. It couldn't look more out of place sitting in the shuttle hangar of the starship _Enterprise_.

“Yeah, yeah. Are you sure Starfleet Command okayed this?” McCoy asked, looking at Kirk in a way that it was clear he knew the truth: Kirk had made an ‘executive decision’ apart from Command’s.   


“Now Bones, they don’t ask me and I don’t tell them. And it’s better to--”  


“Ask forgiveness than permission. Yeah. Get some new phrases, Jim.”   


Kirk merely beamed at the _Enterprise_ ’s CMO. 

“So what about Spock, then? What does _he_ think?”   


“I haven’t told ‘im!” Kirk replied and McCoy mouthed along with him.   


McCoy heaved a sigh before shaking his head. Finally, the last piece was put into place: the walls. Off-white fabric was used for the three walls, with the fourth side being only partially covered to serve as the entrance to the _sukkah_. 

Nearby the intercom chirped and Kirk accepted the connection. 

“We are in orbit, Captain,” Spock’s voice filtered through.  


“Thank you, Mr. Spock. Please meet us in the shuttle bay.”   


“Yes, Captain.”  


McCoy eyed the captain for a while before shaking his head with a sigh. 

“Mr. Scott, please transport our _sukkah_ down to the planet,” Kirk said after hailing the engineer.   


“Aye, Captain,” Scott said moments before the handcrafted booth began to dissipate. It had only finished a few seconds before Spock arrived.   


“You have the bridge, Mr. Sulu,” Kirk said before gesturing to Spock and McCoy to board the shuttle.   


“Aye, sir. We’ll see you in a few days.”  


Spock gave Kirk an inquisitive stare but the captain merely smiled and shook his head, following his fellow officers into the shuttle.

It took mere moments for Kirk to pilot the shuttle down to the planet. It wasn’t Earth, of course, or any solar system planet. But it had a similar day/night cycle and good weather. The _sukkah_ was visible in the last few minutes of flight, causing Spock to again look at Kirk with another stare.

McCoy carried the box of prepared food, tree branches, and candles while Spock continued to stare at the _sukkah_ , more out of surprise than anything else.

“Captain, you’re not suggesting we are going to be here for all eight days?” Spock asked, finally accepting that he was not hallucinating or somehow being the subject of a prank.   


“Spock, the past few years something has always gotten in the way of celebrating in the proper way. I know you don’t talk about it, but you miss it. As much as you miss your mother.”  


“Sir, I’m not sure ‘miss’ is the word--”  


“Regardless, eight days we will be here. I can’t say about Hanukkah, and maybe we really should have done something for Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah instead. But now...”   


McCoy put the box down inside the sukkah then picked up the _lulav_ \-- date palm, willow, and myrtle branches-- and the _etrog_ \-- a citrus fruit similar to a lemon. He handed them off to Kirk.

“Did you want to...?” Kirk asked, holding the items out. Spock simply shook his head.  


“No, it seems you have prepared more than I. I am not even certain if I still remember all the words.” Both McCoy and Kirk doubted Spock could forget but it didn’t matter.  


Kirk turned to his left, facing out of the _sukkah_. The sun in this system was setting in that direction.

Together, all three spoke the blessing (with Kirk holding his hands up and side by sideaccording to custom): “ _Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu al n'tilat lulav_.”

“Doctor, you know the words?” Spock asked in mild surprise.   


“Doctors often fulfill religious needs. And in my case, my roommate at the Academy was Jewish,” McCoy explained.  


Spock accepted this answer with a slight nod.

The next lines “ _Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, shehecheyanu, v'kiy'manu, v'higiyanu laz'man hazeh_ ” were said as it was the first night of Sukkot.

The next step had arrived and Kirk alone spoke the words “ _Hodu l'Adonai ki tov ki l'olam chasdo_ ” while moving the items in all the prescribed directions (north, south, east, west, up, and down) according to custom.  


With that portion done, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy set out the challah bread and other food. Spock was slowly getting used to the whole idea and joining in with slightly more enthusiasm than he usually did things.

They recited the blessing over challah first “ _Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, haMotzi lechem min haaretz_ ” then the special blessing used only for Sukkot “ _Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, shehecheyanu, v'kiy'manu, v'higiyanu laz'man hazeh_ ”. 

With a smile, Kirk handed out a portion of bread to each then began to pull out the actual meal of chicken with green beans and potatoes. It was the first meal out of many to be had in the _sukkah_. 


End file.
